With another school year starting we are reminded how fortunate we are to have great schools here in Alameda. Our children and those attending the adult school still have the opportunity to receive an excellent education.

Our schools; however, face stiff financial challenges. We need to step up the City’s ongoing efforts to provide aide to our ailing school district. I believe that the condition of our schools is the responsibility of us all and I am working to provide any City assistance that we can to the school district by promoting city policies to work jointly with the school district to share resources.  This includes City funding for field renovation in exchange for use and other joint use agreements to share facilities, so that precious educational tax dollars can go directly into the classroom. A joint session of the City Council and School Board is being planned in the fall to address specifics. Stay tuned.

We honor the many men and women who gave their lives for our country, and we extend our sincerest gratitude to the sacrifices they made to make our country a better place, and to live in freedom.

The traditional observance of Memorial Day has changed drastically over the years. Many Americans have forgotten the meaning of the day and see it only as a three day weekend or the beginning of barbecue season. At many of our national cemeteries, the graves of men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country, are neglected and ignored. Many Americans no longer remember the meaning of the day, the traditions, or even the proper flag etiquette.

Our country is engaged in what will soon pass Vietnam as the longest running war in American history, and yet it has all but slipped off the media’s radar screen. Even as the U.S. military death toll in the Afghan conflict reached 1000, the casualties of our troops are no longer front page news and the sacrifice of this war, is felt solely by those serving in the armed forces, and their friends and family.

It is clear that we constantly challenge our policy and ask questions, as this is the duty of everyone in a democracy, but there is an immediate need that cannot wait. In Alameda, we have a unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the veterans who are serving, and those who have served. The Veteran’s Administration has proposed a medical facility to meet the health needs of veterans and a columbarium National Cemetery, both to be sited in Alameda, at Alameda Point.

With the growing number of injured service members returning from the war and our aging veteran population, these plans are enormously important. We need to do everything we can to accelerate establishing the medical facility in Alameda, to provide high quality, reliable, and accessible health care to the men and women that have served our country.

For WWII and Korean War veterans in particular, there is a growing need for a final resting place in the Bay Area. A cemetery at Alameda Point would allow us to memorialize our veterans in a location closer to their families, and honor the heritage of the former Alameda Naval Air force Station. The San Francisco cityscape and our Bay as backdrop would be a beautiful setting and fitting tribute to those who served, as well as Alameda’s military past.

So, on this day of remembrance, let us thank our veterans for the spirit and courage they show us, and recall the sacrifices and contributions of those who gave their lives in war. Let us also resolve to support efforts to honor them, and assist the living veterans in their time of need.

As John Fitzgerald Kennedy once said “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them”.